Why Won't David Talk?
by Tanith Panic
Summary: When little David Hide comes to Holby Mixed Infants he's afraid to talk... but why, and can the Fierce, Brave Gang help?
WHY WON'T DAVID TALK?

As the Fierce, Brave Gang were playing one Monday morning, Miss Freeman steered a small boy towards them.

"This is David Hide. He's shy but I know you'll be kind to him" she said, then went inside because she'd promised Mrs Beauchamp to help her clean out the stationery cupboard before school began.

"Hi, David" chorused the FBG.

David didn't reply; instead he gave them all a little smile and held out a bag of sweets to them. Just as Ethan was about to take one, Zoe stopped him.

"Thank you David, but if we take these to the Gang Hut as they are, they'll count as a Gang Gift and you can choose something from our pile as a gift for yourself."

Max nodded.

David's eyes said he'd like to know more about the Gang but his mouth said nothing.

Robyn put her arm round him and steered him towards the Gang Hut.

"We're the Fierce, Brave Gang, see, and this is where we play. Would you like to join the Gang?"

David nodded.

"You have to say it out loud" said bossy Louise.

"No he doesn't. He's done a nod and that's enough, isn't it, Zax?"

As David gave Lofty a grateful little smile, Zax spoke in unison.

"Thou dost not have to speak yet, David, but it will be nice if thou wilt speak later then we can all have good games together. Okay?"

David's lip quivered but he nodded.

"Now thou must come and choose a Gang Gift from this pile in exchange for thy sweets, which will be divided out according to Gang Tradition" Max told him.

David saw the lovely multi coloured ruler and stroked it shyly.

"If that is what thou likest, then it shall be thine" Zax assured him. David mouthed the words 'thank you' and then the bell went for classes.

The kids speculated in their own heads all morning about why David wouldn't talk aloud.

Gruesome Noel thought he might have been kidnapped by bad gypsies who had cut his throat and left him for dead. David had survived but couldn't talk.

Ethan thought David might have a terrible stammer and was too afraid to speak. He thought it would be good 'ferripy' for David to get a hug from the whole gang every time he spoke.

And Lofty wondered if somebody had scared David out of talking.

David was anxious all morning. Supposing the teachers made him talk? Lovely Mrs Beauchamp hadn't been cross at him when he'd just nodded at her or shaken his head. Maybe she might get him a book he could write things down in to show her?

"David, as you're new, you can give out the sum books, okay?"

David looked at Mr Keogh and couldn't work out if he was a nice teacher or a nasty teacher. He sounded a little cross.

He nodded.

"Is that okay?" Dylan asked, a little louder.

David nodded harder.

"Off you go then" Dylan replied, to David's relief.

"David, what's three times six?"

David knew what they came to but was scared to say it out loud.

"If you don't know, just say so. I don't keep people in for not knowing a sum, especially on their first day."

David looked hopefully at the blackboard and to his relief Mr Keogh understood.

"Write it down for me" he invited the little boy.

David wrote a wobbly 18 on the board.

"Good lad. You can write the answers on the board when it's your turn today but I do want you to say them out loud tomorrow."

David's heart sank. At least he was safe today… or so he thought.

Ethan had a walk across the playground and over to the fence near the Juniors so he could compare Monday notes with Cal before going to lunch. He told him all about David, wondering if his big brother had any ideas.

"Maybe somebody's been mean to him and scared him, Ethan. If I were you guys I'd not bother him too much about it."

"The teachers will, though."

"Well as long as your consciences are clear."

"What's a conshuns?"

Cal explained as best he could. Then it was time for Cal to go to his canteen and Ethan to go to the Mixed Infants one.

Miss Honey smiled at David and put something by his plate.

David nodded and mouthed 'thank you'.

Miss Honey had put out a lovely home-made gingerbread man for him.

"You could say thank you" Louise said, seriously cross that anybody could be nasty to Miss Honey.

"He just did, Lou. I saw him saying it" Miss Honey smiled at David and raised her eyebrows at Louise.

It was in Miss Freeman's class that the crunch came. Miss Freeman had brought a new book into class about a Princess who was kidnapped by nasty goblins. Every child in the class had to read a whole page. David's heart sank.

Ethan began as he was smallest, then Ben took over, then Louise…

"Your turn, David."

David's lip quivered. He knew what would happen and then everybody would KNOW.

"Look, it doesn't matter how badly you read, David, sweetheart, it's just that I need to know what standard you're at. Do you see?"

David did see. He read the page, his words at first halting, frightened. His voice sounded perfectly normal.

Then the thing he dreaded happened. He got right into the story and was soon doing squeaky voices for the goblins, a normal one for the Princess, and a scary deep one for the bad wizard. The story took him over and he read not only his page, but Robyn's too. He stopped to take a breath.

Noel's eyes were wide with excitement; Ethan was looking as if he wanted to cry, and Zax were holding hands. David had brought the story to life.

He expected to be told he was a horrible little show-off and did people know just how much he got on their nerves when he wouldn't shut up?

Miss Freeman and the whole class began to applaud.

"David, that was fantastic! But why wouldn't you talk before?"

"My Granny says I'm a horrid noisy mouthed little boy and I get on people's nerves when I talk a lot, and if I don't keep quiet she'll have me put out of the house and nobody will look after me. And if I get really talky, she – she- always-"

Nobody had to hear David say the word 'smacks' aloud, but they knew that's what he meant.

"David, in this school, we love you to talk as long as it's to do with the lessons! I'm going out to buy gold stars tomorrow because I think I need to start giving them out!"

"Way to go, David!" yelled the irrepressible Jacob.

They all clustered round to hug David, who beamed. However horrid his Granny was that night, he would have school to come back to the next day. And he would talk then.

"Miss Freeman, can David come and stay at Mrs Beauchamp's and play with us this weekend?" Ethan asked.

David's eyes shone. He'd love that.

"I'm sure it can be arranged." Miss Freeman pulled a 'serious' face as she continued:

"But we'll be going to the new Disney film on Saturday, David. Will you promise you'll be very good and not talk while it's on?"

David got the joke and nodded vigorously.

School was the best place ever!


End file.
